


Roomies

by LumpySpace



Category: Game Grumps
Genre: F/M, Love, Romance, Roommates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-23
Updated: 2014-10-29
Packaged: 2018-02-05 22:16:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 18,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1834135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LumpySpace/pseuds/LumpySpace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I love Danny Avidan/Sexbang, Game Grumps and NSP. So this story is happening. We can be friends if you like any of the things mentioned :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Coffee

**Author's Note:**

> First chapter! Enjoy :)

I had put my ad out only 5 days before I was contacted to meet with him. Sara had moved out to live with her fiancé, which was probably just as well because she was filth and I mean that in every sense of the word. She had been a close friend of mine once upon a time, but moving in with her drove us in opposite directions. So that forced me to put an ad out for a roommate… a complete stranger. There was nothing I could do! I needed a roomie and there was no getting around that fact. So I put the goddamn ad out and he answered and now everyone thinks I'm a psychopath.

We met at the coffee shop around the corner of my apartment. At first, I couldn't distinguish him out of the sea of plaid-wearing hipster coffee enthusiasts, but I spotted him eventually. He was folded tightly into a chair wearing black converse, white-washed ripped jeans, a lumberjack shirt and hair a mess. He looked just unkept enough that I could tell he wasn't with the crowd. There was also the fact that he was so engrossed in a game he was playing on what looked like a 3DS, while everyone else was pretending to look important. Even if he was unusual, it clearly wasn't forced.

I looked down at myself briefly before deciding to approach him. I was never happy with my appearance. Friends from high school used to call me Marcy because I looked like Marceline from Adventure Time. Pale. Skinny. Awesome on the outside, awkward on the inside. I decided to wear an outfit I would've normally never touched; a long flowing black and white paisley dress with beaded sandals and a jean jacket. For some reason, I was trying to make a good impression. I had to kick myself in the ass mentally in order to force myself over to him. Here goes nothing, I thought.

"Dan?"

He looked up at my face suddenly, unwinding his legs and pushing himself off the chair to stand and shake my hand. He had a huge grin on his face. I could tell he was shy because he took entirely too long to check me out and when he finally noticed I had extended my hand, he turned to rock. That beautiful grin was gone.

"Amanda. Hi."

"Hi." I said, trying not to sound too nice.

"Do you want to talk here or somewhere else? I'm getting a headache from all the light refracting off these hipster glasses."

I chuckled more than I really should have at that remark but recovered quickly by moving towards the door and motioning Dan to follow. He slipped his 3DS into his pocket, picked up his small coffee 'to go' and threw it straight into the trash as he followed out the door.

"Where do you want to go?" I asked curiously.

God, he was attractive. He looked me straight in the eyes. As I looked back at him I noticed that his black eyes were so piercing and yet so soft by nature. He had stubble in all the right places. His hair was black and curly; just falling past his ears. The best part was the little dimple he had in the middle of his chin, which my mother always used to say was the true mark of a man.

"Here's a wild idea. How 'bout we go to your apartment?"

"Sure." I replied, feeling the blood rush to my face.

We strolled through thin crowds of people walking against us and engaged in awkward small talk on our way. I was standing in front of the door trying to get it unlocked quickly because I could feel his eyes on me and I needed to feel the security of my apartment once again. That's when he said it.

"Do you have a lover boy in your life?"

I looked over my shoulder slowly, putting on a nonchalant face when inside I was actually screaming "What the fuck?!"

"I guess that's for you to find out." I whispered seductively, turning back to the task at hand.

That was the best thing I could've possibly said and in that moment, I was super proud of myself. I wish I could see his face now. I bet it's hilarious.

I got the door unlocked, swung it wide open and made a 'step right up' motion with my hand. I had been able to keep the apartment particularly clean ever since Sara left and that was a huge comfort. I wasn't expecting him to invite himself inside my life just yet. Though, I could see him taking it in and I couldn't tell if he was impressed or completely creeped out. At least I knew in my heart that the decorating was top notch, but that was all a product of my discretion. 

Just then I remembered Bo.

"I should probably mention I have a pet."

He looked at me curiously just then in a way I never expected would make my insides twist into a knot. He adjusted and crossed his arms adorably. I smiled. Like a fucking idiot.

"I have a Rainbow Boa….4 years old. His name is Bo."

There was that grin again. That glorious sight.

"Like, Boa as in snake?" he laughed.

"Ya, like, don't eat the frozen mice in the freezer because they are for my snake, snake." I laughed back.

He was very suddenly crossing over to where I was standing, putting his hands on the tops of my shoulders and looked at me in admiration. He leaned in ever so slightly.

"Did you know…. Miss, are you aware that you are the most badass babe ever?" he whispered, fumbling over his words like a lovestruck teenager.

Sara never liked snakes.

He was in. And so was I.


	2. Morning Ritual

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I love Danny Avidan/Sexbang, Game Grumps and NSP. So this story is happening. We can be friends if you like any of the things mentioned :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things get weird. Weird is good.

It had been a month since Dan moved in. 

One glorious month of sweet Danny Avidan. I couldn’t get enough. 

Every morning I had a ritual where I sleepily walked to the kitchen to fix myself some breakfast, which was usually an omelette and a cup of Twinings Chamomile & Honey tea and sat down to watch some form of show or movie. I had time to do this because I was usually up around five in the morning. I often didn’t sleep well and work didn’t start til 8. 

This particular morning, however, was a Saturday and I was up at 11o’clock sharp. My day off. I walked past Bo’s quite large and misty tank that was on a stand in the living room. 

“Hey, Bo man,” I said, bending down to peer into his cave where he usually resided. “You want some cuddles, buddy?” As usual, there was no response. 

I laughed to myself and walked towards the fridge. My happy morning ritual commenced until I got bored of watching shows about weird people collecting things. I peered down at my unpainted toenails. 

Shuffling towards the bathroom, I stopped for just a second as I was passing Dan’s room. The smell of his cologne was faint but sweet, nonetheless, and had a forever presence just outside of his door. I closed my eyes and inhaled silently. It made me so happy and so sad at the same time. 

When Dan finally made his appearance, it was one-thirty in the afternoon. I was situated on the black leather couch, painting my toes and watching a show with Bo wrapped around my arm. I looked up and found him leaning against the doorway. He was quietly observing me, wearing nothing but a t-shirt and boxers. 

“You really love that snake, eh?” He smiled.

“Yes. And he loves me.” I said, sticking my tongue out at him. “They are very misunderstood creatures.”

“I guess. They DO kinda strangle their prey but they are just so freaking cuddly-wuddly!” he teased. 

I put my paintbrush in the bottle and reached for a pillow to throw at him but it was too late. He was already seated cozily beside me. He gave me a sly grin and laughed to himself. I rolled my eyes. 

“Hold him, then.” I said, beginning to unwind him from my arm. “He won't bite.”

“Uh... I beg to differ.” Dan pronounced nervously. 

“Just stay calm. He can sense if you’re scared.” I replied, but by this time, Bo had already started to make his way onto Dan’s lap. We both watched him get to know his new surroundings. As he slithered around, his belly softly moved the fabric of Dan’s boxers around with him. Like most boxers, Dan’s had a little pocket in the front for easy peeing access. It took me a second, but I realized another type of snake was making an appearance... 

“Dan, your dick’s out.” I laughed, turning away with my hand over my eyes. 

“Oh god!” he exclaimed, jumping up from the couch. “I’m gonna go grab a shower!” He ran off down the hall in embarrassment as I tried to control my laughter. 

When I finally made my way back to planet earth, I put Bo back so I could paint my fingernails. I was stretched out on the couch with freshly painted nails, staring off into space and thinking about the fact that I just saw Dan’s dick. It was weird living with a guy I was in love with because even a little thing like seeing his dick stirred a deep thirst within me that possessed me for days. Granted, I hadn’t had sex in about two years and a girl has needs. I dozed off slowly, dreaming about holding Dan’s snake. 

As I was starting to come out of my nap, I could hear in the distance Dan talking to himself. I thought it was very strange so I decided to listen to him with my eyes closed so he didn’t know I was awake. As I listened further, I figured out he was talking on the phone with someone in the kitchen. 

“Dude, it just happened.” he said, sounding distraught. “How did it happen? Well Barry, she just reached over and pulled it out!” he exclaimed sarcastically. I could hear him making something. Mac and cheese, maybe? He started to laugh very hard suddenly. “No man, her pet snake. He was wiggling on my lap and my boxers got all disoriented and it just somehow slipped out.” He sounded genuinely disheartened just then. “But I really LIKE her. She’s got wicked humor, she’s goddamn smart and she’s super sexy, but she’s my roommate. Rule number one in being a roomie is to not fuck each other, right? I can’t just DO THAT. It’ll ruin everything between us.” 

Oh. My. God.

“Listen bro, you don’t know what you’re talking about. I need to stuff myself with food and stay in bed for a week after that.” he whispered heavily with embarrassment. “Ok, yes, after tonight’s recording. I’ll see you later.” I could hear him throw his phone down with a simultaneous sigh. 

Did I really just hear that? 

I decided it was time to make an appearance so as quietly as I could, I snuck up off the couch and stood behind Dan while he was at the stove. I snuck forward so I was right behind his left ear. 

“MAN! Am I ever hungry!” I shouted. Dan jumped at least two feet off the ground and stumbled back in surprise as if someone was just shot. I fell to the ground in yet another fit of laughter. He quickly regrouped and joined in on my laughter while extending a helping hand-up. 

I grabbed two bowls and forks and sat down. Dan came and scooped half of the mac and cheese into my bowl and the other into his. Then we sat and laughed and ate and talked. It made me so happy and so sad at the same time.


	3. Realization

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I love Danny Avidan/Sexbang, Game Grumps and NSP. So this story is happening. We can be friends if you like any of the things mentioned :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter - sorry for posting so frequently. I work at home so I have some time to do writing. I'm just loving how this story is shaping up and I hope you guys don't mind it either!

"Ever heard of Game Grumps?" Danny said, looking up from his computer to look at me. 

"Ya, I think so," I began, looking back at him blankly. "Just never actually watched any of their videos before."

He looked amused by that remark. I was too busy reading in the living room to really pay full attention to what he was saying. A big part of being a florist is understanding how every plant and flower behaves differently. Even though I had been a florist for the better part of two years, I always thought it handy to be able to apply a better knowledge to what I was doing at work as opposed to just making things look pretty. 

"What about Ninja Sex Party?" he said after a short while of doing whatever he was doing on that laptop of his. I noticed that every once in a while, he would go off quietly to sit at the kitchen table with his laptop. Some of the time he would be there for hours. I never knew what Dan did for a living, but I didn't concern myself with it. As long as he was paying the bills, I was happy. Thinking about it though, I did find it strange that he would work all night through to the early hours in the morning and I'd be lying if I said I hadn't wondered if Dan was a male stripper or a professional criminal at least once. 

I looked up from the book again. "Sounds like one of those bad kung-fu movies that for some reason turned into an orgy." I remarked. 

Dan burst into an uncontrollable laughter that brought tears to his eyes. I laughed with him, proud that I could make the man of my dreams laugh that hard at a joke I made. 

"Ya, well, maybe you should watch one or two of them. You might be pleasantly surprised." he replied, once he caught his breath. 

"Maybe I will." I said, stretching off the couch. I made my way to the bathroom, leaving the door open as I observed my appearance in the mirror. I groaned loudly. 

"What's wrong with you?" Dan shouted from the kitchen. 

"I look like I got ran over with a cement truck." I was tugging at my hair with one hand and rubbing my eye with the other. "I am the definition of a lazy Saturday spent inside. I need to somehow look super hot in approximately an hour and a half." I shouted back. I covered my hand over my reflection and shuffled back to the kitchen to make some coffee. 

"Hardly," Dan scoffed, peering up at me from his little work spot. "But why do you have to look super hot?"

"I'm going to a club tonight with Ellie." I replied, focusing on getting just the right amount of espresso into the machine as to ensure the coffee wasn't too strong. I could feel his eyes on my profile. After a long pause, he spoke up.

"Oh Amanda, don't be such a little idiot. You're gorgeous and you know it," he paused briefly as I turned to face him. "And to be brutally honest, I don't think you should be going clubbing. The men at those places are pigs. If you think I'm bad, just wait until some guy slaps your ass and persuades you into going home with him." he retorted. I could tell he was disgusted by the thought of it because he looked away suddenly and stared at the wall opposite me. 

I poured some milk and sugar into my coffee and braced myself for the conversation I never thought I'd have with him. "Dan," I began, sipping my coffee carefully. "Thank you for your concern. I mean it. I know how bad it can get with those creeps. I promise I will be careful and if I get into trouble I will-" I was interrupted by Dan's fist hitting the table. 

"CALL ME!" he yelled, standing up and crossing over to me suddenly. He surprised me so much that I spilt half of my cup of coffee on the floor in front of me. 

"You will call me." he regrouped, brushing his hair back quickly. 

"Ok." I whispered. We were standing face to face, both frozen in time. Just as quickly as he had gotten up, Dan embraced me tightly. I pushed my arm out from under him and set my mug on the counter and wrapped my arms around his skinny frame. 

"Good." he grunted into my hair. I breathed him in so deeply, feeling his body pressed against mine. He felt like home. 

When we finally pulled away from each other, I realized how intoxicating it was to be held in his embrace. I broke away from that feeling quickly - it only reminded me of all the things I wanted to be for Dan. His best friend. His lover. His girlfriend...

Dan backed away slowly as I mopped up the coffee on the floor with paper towels. He took his seat again, pretending that he didn't feel what he just did. 

"I'm going to go get ready." I blurted, not waiting for a response and ran to the bathroom. 

I had a good night out. The music was good. Ellie was drunk. I was drunk. We danced together, off in our own little world. I thought about how disappointed Dan must be in me. Although, he could've been off trying to pick up women for all I knew. Still, he was all I could think about when the cab was cruising down the highway with our drunk selves in the back. He was all I could think about as I stumbled up the door of my apartment. He was all I could ever think about. 

I was greeted by a dark and empty apartment. I poured myself a glass of water and downed it in seconds because I was still a little tipsy and very dehydrated. I stood in the dark kitchen for a moment, looking at Dan's closed laptop and empty chair. Then I remembered. 

Sitting down, I opened up Dan's laptop that luckily wasn't password protected. Clicking into safari, I brought up Youtube and typed the words "Ninja Sex Party" into the search field. What popped up was strange. A huge list of videos that had sexual titles and silly default pictures, some of which had millions of views. The guy in the default pictures looked oddly familiar. I scrolled down, laughing at the names of the videos and clicked on the one called "No Reason Boner". I watched it start up slowly as it opened with a Ninja brushing his teeth and that familiar guy standing in front of a mirror in a bathroom. As I looked closer, I noticed he looked EXACTLY like Dan. Then he started speaking and he sounded EXACTLY like Dan. Is that....?

"Ho-ly shit."


	4. Head Games

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I love Danny Avidan/Sexbang, Game Grumps and NSP. So this story is happening. We can be friends if you like any of the things mentioned :)

I could barely lift my eyes open enough to see what time it was. After a few failed attempts to get up, I managed to sit up which resulted in a rush of blood to my head. I discovered a very dull ache set deep into my skull. A hangover. Lovely. 

As I felt around for my bra and jeans in the dark, I thought I heard a familiar voice singing outside my door somewhere. Stepping out, I eventually made my way to the kitchen cupboard. Danny was singing in the shower which was something he did often. I popped two ibuprofens in my mouth and washed them down with some orange juice. 

I walked past Bo's tank where he was wound nicely around his tree branch and politely asked him to strangle me so I wouldn't have to endure this migraine any longer. He just sat there blissfully like any snake would. 

Making my way to the couch slowly, I scoured the back of my brain to place what that song was that Danny was singing. I flopped down and cradled my head in my hands. The light was pouring into the room and what was once Danny's muffled singing was amplified after he turned the water off. The combination made my head throb violently. I thought back to yesterday and wondered what he did last ni- NINJA SEX PARTY! DAN'S SINGING! THAT'S WHERE I HEARD IT! 

I shot up from the couch and immediately cowered by the weight of pain in my head. When I made my to the bathroom, Dan was brushing his teeth lazily in a ridiculous blue satin robe... THE exact ridiculous robe that he danced around in in his music videos! I stood there shell-shocked and fan girl ridden - unable to move or say anything. All I could do was stare. 

Eventually, he finished brushing his teeth and turned to face me in the hallway, a little surprised by my presence. 

"Morning there, hangover," he began, laughing as he stretched and yawned. "You look a little far gone. You ok?" 

I couldn't reply. He was a mysterious person to me now. Not in a weird serial killer kind of way, but in a way that made him more desirable. I was living with a Youtube star! An extremely hilarious one at that. It was all too much to take in. Clearly it was because all I remember after that was falling into Danny's strong arms and hitting hard into a black void. 

I awoke after what seemed like an hour of blacking out. I felt the floor beneath me and saw the ceiling above me and I eventually concluded that I had passed out. I looked down at my feet and saw that Dan was kneeling and holding my legs up. He had a worried expression set on his face. 

"Normally girls faint the second they see my dick, not a day afterwards." Dan joked, trying to diffuse the concern that was ever present in his voice. Swiftly, he scooped one arm under my legs and wrapped the other around my waist and lifted me into him. 

"Y-You're..." I tried to speak, but my head was swimming. 

"Dan. I'm Dan." he replied as he set me down on the couch carefully. He ran to get me my pillow and a blanket. When he bent down to tuck the pillow under my head, I grasped his forearm quickly and pulled him onto me. His frail frame was sprawled out awkwardly over mine and his face peered down at me in confusion. 

What was I doing?! I had pulled Dan on top of me and I had no idea how it happened. 

He was so intoxicating. He smelled musky and seductive. I could see a flash of his bare chest and I knew he was naked from head to toe underneath that robe. His lips looked so soft and sweet with just the appropriate amount of stubble surrounding them. 

I lifted my head up and met my lips with his gently. He shuddered as they made contact, but when I noticed he wasn't resisting and instead kissing me back, I returned the favour. Our lips quickened and moved in motion and I swear I could feel the blood coursing through him the same way mine was coursing through me. He caressed my head in his hand and kissed me with authority and thirst. My head swarmed in response and I pulled away so I could see his face. So I could read if he truly felt the same way that I felt about him. 

He looked serene and then pained; all in one second. I looked into his eyes and searched for something to reassure me, but he was already gone. Moving off of me and heading towards the kitchen. 

"Do you want some food? You should eat." he whispered, void of emotion. What did I do?!

I wanted to scream at him. I wanted him to hear me and touch me and LOVE me the way I knew he longed to. I knew he didn't want to risk our friendship, but it was well worth it. This I knew above all else in my heart. Dan was more than a friend and he would always remain that way. When I kissed him, I felt our bodies melt into each other. I knew it wasn't just a weird one-off kiss that friends have when they want to know if they're into each other. That kiss was much more than that. 

I cautiously got up and followed behind him, hoping to get a read on what he was feeling. 

"Dan..." I said slowly, trying not to sound too emotional. I looked at his back - his broad shoulders and messy, curly hair that gently rested on them. It was funny how after that, I still didn't have what it took to say it. I didn't want to burden him with my stupid thoughts and actions. So I didn't.

"Tell me. Where can I get a blue spandex leotard? I saw this super hot jewish guy wearing one one time and I thought it would look good on me too. Would you happen to know of a place that carries such a thing?" I remarked. 

He turned slowly to face me with a huge, goofy smile cemented on his face. Old Danny was back. 

"I'll never tell!" he exclaimed back at me and gave me a dramatic look out of the corner of his eye. We laughed with each other and I noticed he was about to say something when a faint "GET OUTTA HERE!" came from his pocket. It was his ringtone. I laughed even harder as he checked his phone. Suddenly, he was rushing franticly around the apartment and I concluded he must be late for something. He apologized and told me to lie down for the night. I obeyed quietly, but I wasn't sure I really needed to anymore. 

'I'll be back around 5," he said, making his way out the door. "Get some rest!" 

It was so quiet and strange when Dan left. Since I hadn't been out of the apartment much at all these past two days, I decided to go for a walk. The fresh air filled my lungs and soothed my aching head. I forgot how remarkable it was that I was alive - that I could absorb the elements and be apart of nature once again. 

After my long walk, I came home and fixed myself a cup of tea with a PB & J sandwich and settled in to watch Game Grumps and Ninja Sex Party for the entirety of the night. I laughed so hard that my sides ached and my eyes watered. When I looked at my watch, I noticed it was 12:30. I should probably go to bed. 

I peered in at Bo, soaking in his water dish and wished him a goodnight before locking the front door and turning off the lights. As I was brushing my teeth, I noticed Dan's robe draped over the counter beside me. I could smell his smell on it and it stirred a restless want from within me to be with him again. Without a second though, I was stripping naked and enfolding myself within it. It wasn't Danny, but it was the closest thing to him and it felt good to be in that space once again. 

I lied in bed, absorbing the scent of him and wishing he was with me right now - loving me in the tenderest of ways. I closed my eyes while touching myself and imagined his tall, thin and naked frame joining mine. I imagined his firm, lustful kisses traveling from my lips and slowly making their way down my body. I imagined his hands expertly touching my body with assertiveness. I imagined him entering me slowly at first, but picking up speed as my muscles clench around him in extreme pleasure. I imagine him finishing in me and his crash shortly after in a fit of ecstasy. 

I moaned loudly and allowed my body to twitch through my orgasm and fall into a mellow state, leaving me soaking and breathless. 

Rolling over, I threw the duvet over myself and fell peacefully asleep in Dan's sex-partied robe.


	5. Heartbreak City

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I love Danny Avidan/Sexbang, Game Grumps and NSP. So this story is happening. We can be friends if you like any of the things mentioned :)

I was up and around at exactly 5 - feeling surprisingly well rested and listening to 'I Can't Make You Love Me' while cooking some bacon and eggs. Dan came through the front door not long after and I looked down at myself suddenly, forgetting that I still had Dan's robe on. Shit. This was going to be fun to explain. 

I heard him make his way to his room and shortly after come to greet me in the kitchen. I could tell by the way he moved around that he was really tired this morning, which either meant he needed sleep or a shit-ton of coffee. He often went for the latter. I looked at his face as he turned the corner and reached for the coffee pot. He poured his cup and leaned against the counter, facing my back. 

"You look adorable in my robe." he said sleepily from behind me. I gave him a smart ass look from over my shoulder and then proceeded to cook our breakfast - smiling widely to myself. 

"For once, I don't feel like how you look." I remarked over the loud sizzling of the bacon. 

"Be nice," he muttered with faked attitude. "I worked hard to look this sexy." 

"Ya, well, why don't you take that sexy ass of yours and set the table." I replied, pausing the music on my phone and dishing our food onto plates. 

He complied quietly and set the table just in time before I set our food down in front of us. I sat down with a huff, only to see Dan staring at me in silence. I stared back, confused by the sudden act. His eyes were soft and cloudy and it made me wonder what he was thinking. I reached for my mug and sipped the bittersweet liquid, awkwardly breaking our staring contest. Not long after, he tucked into his breakfast. 

"This is the first time we've ever had breakfast together." he interjected with a mouthful of food. I raised my eyebrow at him. 

"Welcome to breakfast with Amanda! Sit back, relax and enjoy your nutritious feast." I replied, making a stupid stewardess motion at our plates and smiling phonily. He sat back, relaxed and laughed openly at me. I threw my napkin at his face. 

We sat for awhile after eating and talked odds and ends. I glanced at the clock and scampered off to have a shower and get ready for work. When I came back, I found a fast asleep Dan on the couch and a sparkling clean kitchen. It just showed me how sweet a guy he was. To be that exhausted and still insisting to make me happy. 

I unfolded the blanket at the end of the couch and draped it over his curled up body. I scribbled a note and left in on the coffee table in front of him before running out the door. 

I worked hard that day, making my way around the shop efficiently and getting more than 10 flower baskets out the door. It was often difficult to get 5 out a day. Customers commented on my infectious smile - some regulars even quietly pulled me aside to ask if I had been laid recently. I shook my head and laughed, but did say that there was someone special making their way into my life. They congratulated me and went on their way. Before I knew it, it was 4, which meant it was time to go home. 

I made my way home, feeling grimy and exhausted, but truly happy from the inside-out. It was such a good feeling after a year of feeling lost and confused. 

I fumbled to get the door open and stepped inside my familiar apartment. As I was kicking off my shoes, I noticed a pair of black boots with a huge platform that I had never seen before. They looked like women's shoes. In the back of my mind, I tried to convince myself that they were Dan's and he was secretly into drag. In the front of my mind, I knew exactly what those shoes meant. It made the smile wipe clean off my face and my stomach sink to the floor. 

A woman's laugh was audible from the living room. I made my way to the living room and saw Dan seated next to a thin, pale young woman with all black in her clothes and hair except for a blonde patch on the right side of her bangs. I could feel my mouth fall open and my knees buckle beneath me. They were playing MY games on MY TV and sitting on MY couch. Dan looked up and noticed my presence before I had time to slink away into the abyss. 

"Amanda! How was work?" he called out, smiling. "This is Suzy. Suzy, this is Amanda." he finished. 

"Hey Amanda! I've heard so many great things about you. I hear you're a florist - that must be a really awesome job. I love flowers so much. Anyways, it's really great to finally meet you." she exclaimed happily. 

I couldn't believe Dan would do this. After everything. Suzy looked gorgeous and she seemed like a great person, which made sense. He wouldn't want to settle with someone like me. I was a waste of his time and love. It just made me feel so stupid for falling for it... falling for him. 

"Hi. Good. Good for you. Most people hate flowers because they remind them of funerals and sick people," I began bitterly. "I don't like them in the house because I don't like to take my work home with me. Amongst other things that aren't appropriate to take home with you..." I finished, shooting a broken look at Dan. 

They awkwardly exchanged a look as I stood there feeling humiliated. Suzy's face turned a bright red and Dan's face turned white. 

"I'm going to bed." I mumbled as I stormed down the hallway, brushing away tears that pricked the corners of my eyes. 

I hit the bed, not bothering to undress and buried my head in my pillow - choking out soft sobs. I poured my heart out until the exhaustion took hold and eased me into a deep, dark sleep. Just like that, the happiness was gone.


	6. Four Letter Word

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I love Danny Avidan/Sexbang, Game Grumps and NSP. So this story is happening. We can be friends if you like any of the things mentioned :)

The next morning, I got up early so that I could be out of the house before Dan woke up. I made my way to the coffee shop around the corner and sat for awhile before I had to make my way to work. I sat in the chair Dan was sitting in when I met him only a few short months ago and looked at my phone.

_Can I stay at your place tonight?_ I typed into the text field addressed to Ellie.

_Everything ok?_   She typed back shortly. Typical Ellie.

_Ya. Just dealing with a bad realization. It’s hurting my mind._ I typed, frowning down at my thumbs as they tapped the letters on the screen.

_And heart. I’ll see you tonight._

With that, I slipped my phone into my pocket and drank the rest of my coffee before heading to work.  _  
_

When I got to Ellie's, she had dinner ready with a cool glass of wine and our favourite show GIRLS ready for us to watch. She smiled at me as I embraced her from behind. Without a word from either of us, she gave me my plate and demandingly motioned me to sit down and start an episode. Soon after, she joined me and we ate dinner in silence. She cleaned our plates once the episode was done and returned with the bottle of wine. I knew all too well what this meant. 

"Tell me." she said, topping my glass up. I embraced it and sat back to look at her face. She looked concerned, but open and supportive, which was something Ellie was very good at. Being supportive. 

"I don't know, El. Dan is complicated and private. He truly is a really great person, but he broke my heart." I replied. 

"What happened, Amanda?" she clarified a little sterner this time. 

"He brought some girl home with him. She was really pretty. I found them on the couch playing a game together." I answered sadly. 

"Amanda, they were on the couch together. Not in bed," she began. "Were they sitting together? Like, was she touching him?" she asked curiously. 

"No..." I said, realizing what Ellie was getting at. 

"So how do you know that they are sleeping together? They could just be friends." she blurted blatantly. 

I don't know why, but for some reason I broke down at that. I wiped tears off of my face swiftly, trying to stop myself. I felt so humiliated by this whole thing. She put her arm around me and pulled me into her. 

"You should talk to him. From the sounds of this, I think you misunderstood. Don't get me wrong. I still think you're fucking insane for letting this guy live with you, but if you think he's worth it, you deserve to know the truth." she said gently. 

"Well, at least I'm not the only person who believes in my insanity." I replied jokingly, smiling through my tears. 

We sat like that for awhile as we watched another episode and drank like fish. Ellie told me that she would never be able to have a bath with me like Hannah does with Marnie and Jessa. I said that it was possible if we were drunk or trying to cut down on the water bill. She agreed. 

"I'm going to bed." I said, moving towards her bedroom. 

"I'll see you in there in a bit." she called after me. 

Ellie's room was familiar and comforting. I stripped down to my bra and panties and sprawled out under her silky top sheet. Closing my eyes, I let sleep carry me under.

I stayed 2 nights before heading back home again. I figured I needed to talk to him sooner as opposed to later because I hated not knowing what he wanted from all of this.

"Bye, El. Thank you for everything," I said, hugging her. She just nodded happily. "I love you and I'll text you soon about how I'm doing." 

"I love you too." she replied, closing the door behind me. 

Taking the long way home gave me an opportunity to think about what I would say to him. Nothing came naturally so I gave up. _Whatever will happen is what is meant to happen_ I told myself. 

I stepped into the apartment quietly and ran to my room before I went searching for Dan. I stripped naked and put on fresh clothes and perfume. I fixed my makeup in the mirror and started my search. I found him on the couch, in the same position and same clothes as the last time I saw him. He was staring at the TV with a blank expression. Had he not moved since I last saw him? Quickly, I barged into the room without looking at him and cranked my neck to see what he was watching. 

"The Last Unicorn, eh? I haven't seen this movie in ages! It's one of my favourites." I exclaimed cheerfully as I spun around and misted Bo's tank. There was a long pause before he spoke. 

"Amanda." he said. His voice sounded scratchy and sad. I ignored it the best I could. 

"Thanks for taking care of Bo. I've just been so busy lately with work and everything." I replied, trying to maintain my fake cheerful tone, but I could hear a shakiness creep up through my throat.

"Amanda." he called with a little more agitation in his voice. 

"Not to mention Ellie invited me over for a few nights beca-" I started, but was interrupted by Dan's loud voice. 

"AMANDA!" he screamed at me. I felt my body shudder as I burst into tears and swung around to face him. 

"WHAT?! WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" I cried back. He was standing up from the couch now and I swore I saw dew in his eyes. He didn't answer me. I stormed up to him and looked him straight in the eye. 

"Who is she?!" I demanded up at him. 

"She's a friend." He whispered back. 

"Ok Dan, so is she a 'friend' or is she a friend? The 'friend' you sleep with quickly before Amanda comes home? Is she that kind of 'FRIEND'?" I blurted out, making quotation gestures with my hands. He took a step back just then and looked at me with a confused expression. 

"No. No Amanda, I'm not sleeping with her. She is married to my friend. Arin. You may have heard of him." he said angrily. 

I felt the air deflate from my body and I couldn't tell if it was out of relief or embarrassment or both. I turned around and cried even harder - wanting to disappear. Before I could move away from him, he had a strong hand on my shoulder. In one swift motion, he had turned me around and was grasping the tops of my shoulders and looking straight into my eyes. I hung my head for a long time before looking up to meet his eyes. I had to tell him. I just had to. 

"I love you." I whispered. 


	7. Shine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I love Danny Avidan/Sexbang, Game Grumps and NSP. So this story is happening. We can be friends if you like any of the things mentioned :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;)

His eyes hardened in a steady gaze. The more I looked at him, the more I realized how dangerous he looked. I had my arms folded tightly against myself and my stomach ached and churned as I searched his eyes. I felt like I was going to be sick. 

"What did you just say?" he whispered. 

I could feel his fingers pressing harder into my shoulders every passing minute. The feeling of sickness rippled through my body violently when I felt his breath against my skin. 

"I-I'm in love with you." I replied dryly. 

We stood in this stance in the middle of my quaint living room for what seemed like ages. Like a mood ring, I watched Dan's eyes transition from emotion to emotion as he absorbed my words. One moment he was angry, another he was relieved and the next he was happy. His eyes softened and sparkled in the light of the TV and even though he didn't say anything, he was communicating with me in his own special way. My stomach twisted in response to this strong happiness radiating through his body into mine. He opened his mouth as if he was about to say something to me and closed it immediately. Then it happened. All in a matter of a second. 

His body and mouth were against mine in the blink of an eye. He kissed me with urgency and lust and his arms wrapped around my legs and lifted me up. I immediately wrapped them around his waist in response. I observed his face as he kissed me and noticed his eyes were slammed shut with a glimmer of dew trailing down his cheek. In that moment, I knew he loved me back. He loved me so much that it hurt and I couldn't help but smile through our strong kisses because I was convinced now that he finally understood how I felt all this time. I kissed him and stared at him and when his eyes fluttered open, I just stared even harder into them. 

He moved us over to the couch and sat me down firmly. He pinned his hands on the back of the couch on either side of me and looked down into my face, panting from our breathless kissing. 

"I want to show you." he said seductively. 

"Show me what?" 

"How much I love you. Let me show you, Amanda." he finished as he leaned into me again, just inches away from me. 

I could feel the heat on his body radiating on my skin and I inhaled sharply as the air bubbled in my stomach. His fingertips moved along the tops of my shoulders and traced love patterns along the base of my neck as he firmly grasped me and moved me to a laying position. He situated his hips between my spread legs and I could feel a pleasurable squeeze from deep between my legs in response. His lips attacked my neck from all angles, sucking and biting in all the right places. My hips rolled and a delectable moan escaped my lips as I threw my head back. Those experienced hands of his trailed a line up from my hip to underneath my shirt as he peeled it up and over my head slowly. He leaned down slightly to snake his hands around to the clasp of my bra, which he undid in one swift motion. He sat back as he threaded it out of my arms and threw it on the floor gently beside him. Then he just looked at me with a soft smile planted sweetly on his handsome face. I looked back at him and giggled softly. 

"Why are you laughing?" he asked, raising an eyebrow and smiling curiously at me. 

"Because I'm nervous and excited and happy and scared all at the same time." I replied quietly, suddenly aware of my nervous giggles. He smiled and shook his head from side to side slowly.

"You shine. Just let yourself be free, beautiful." he remarked gently as he leaned back into me. 

His hand caressed and gently squeezed my breast as his lips moved against mine firmly. I could feel my heart accelerating with every point of contact Dan had against my bare skin. The ache in my stomach turned to butterflies and the air moved to my lungs, filling them to the point of explosiveness. I grabbed his shirt and pulled away so I could lift it off his body and down on top of the fast growing clothing pile. Slowly, I moved my hand down his chest and down to his treasure trail. My favourite part. He smiled as I ran my finger along it and gently unbuttoned his jeans. He found the button to my pants in response and we both helped each other out of them. Suddenly, I attacked his neck and pushed him underneath me so I could sit on his hips. He gasped and bit his bottom lip in response to me slowly moving my way down the length of his body. 

I grazed my tongue down his treasure trail slowly as I pushed his boxers down to his ankles. I teased my way down to his balls, which I sucked gently as my hand went to work on his already hard cock. He wiggled underneath my touch and I could feel him pushing the air out of his body in deep, wanting groans. My lips wrapped around his head as I sucked and twirled my tongue up from around his base to his tip and back down again. It had only been a few minutes of this before I heard Dan cry out and felt his hands pulling me back up to meet his face. 

"You're too good at that." he laughed breathlessly. 

I smiled and swooped in to bite his lip seductively. We were switching places again and I could feel his hands move to my black lace panties. He pushed them down forcefully, ripping them off my legs after pushing his own off from around his ankles. He teased me painfully as he sucked and nipped his way down to my pussy. He rubbed gently and watched as I tensed from underneath his frail frame. He continued as he introduced a long finger inside me. I gasped in response, needing more. I snaked my fingers into his curly hair as he pushed his tongue in between my lips, applying pressure to my sweet spot. It felt so amazing. 

I wrapped my legs around his in an attempt to stop myself from spasming. It didn't work. He expertly sucked and licked up my cum as it came oozing out of me. I felt myself close to climax and pushed him back so I could pounce on him. He fell back against the arm of the couch as I situated myself above him, easing myself onto his cock. Simultaneously, we let out a harmonized moan as I picked up speed, moving up and down at the perfect pace. 

"Ahh. Ohh, Amanda." he whispered, throwing his head back in pleasure. 

He licked his lips and looked up again at me fiercely. That goddamn look. I whimpered at the delicious feeling of him being inside me. My pussy squeezed in response to the throbbing of his dick. I knew he was close and so was I. Picking up speed, his hips bucked to meet mine only a few more times before he shot hot, thick, cum deep inside of me. We both screamed as we came down from our orgasm. 

Panting, I looked down at him. He looked wild and untamed and I loved it so much. I sat with him inside me, catching my breath and kissing him sweetly as I felt him losing his erection. I climbed off him and laid beside him on my tiny couch and settled my head perfectly in the crook of his arm. When he finally regained his normal breathing, he planted a gentle kiss on my forehead and entwined his hand in mine. 

"Well, it's official. I'm obsessed with you and I wouldn't have it any other way." his remarked, looking deeply into my eyes. 

"Me neither." I whispered, planting a passionate kiss on his lips. 

We settled into each other and drifted off into a blissful sleep, warmed by our pure un-contained love.


	8. All Around The World!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I love Danny Avidan/Sexbang, Game Grumps and NSP. So this story is happening. We can be friends if you like any of the things mentioned :)

When I woke up, Dan was not there. I rubbed my eyes and stretched along the length of the couch, realizing he had put a blanket over top of me at some point. Throwing it off myself, I walked to the kitchen, still naked, to prepare breakfast for the two of us. I peeked inside the fridge. Nothing. Pancakes it is, then.

Turning the music on on my phone always set the mood for my day. It was so important for me to listen to music at least every day; it kept me sane. Dancing through the kitchen, I began making the batter and warming the skillet. It may have looked odd to someone watching me because it's not everyday that people dance in their kitchen naked. It took me awhile, but eventually I heard a progressively loud laughter from behind me. Dan was leaning against the corner wall watching me, freshly showered and dressed. It didn't bother me. I just continued dancing as I poured the batter on the skillet. He was behind me now, wrapping his arms around my waist and kissing my neck.

"The only thing better than seeing you in my robe in the morning," he began, moving his hands down my hourglass figure. "Is seeing you naked in the morning."I turned my head and met his lips softly.

"Maybe I should do this every morning." I laughed, flipping the pancakes.

"Well, just know I wouldn't complain if you did." he replied, moving off me to set the table.

We ate our breakfast in a happy silence as our minds wandered to last night. I observed his satisfied face and admired how handsome he looked just then. His eyes stayed on mine for a little while before they slowly drifted down to my bare chest for a few moments before flickering away. Each time he did this, the redness in his face grew more apparent. He cleared his throat after swallowing his last bite.

"You need to get ready. I'm taking you out today." he announced. I looked at him sideways.

"Where?"

"It's a surprise." he snickered.

I frowned at him. The one fact about me that I was not proud of was my hatred for surprises. Ever since I was little, I would get anxious because I never knew how to dress or act for the surprise because I wasn't told what it was! I hated feeling unprepared. "Please tell me." I whined. He picked up on my discomfort, but remained smug.

"I can't. Well... I can tell you one part," I made an impatient gesture at him. "I'm taking you to meet the rest of the Grumps tonight."

Suddenly, I forgot all about the untold surprise. My face lit up as I got up and crossed over to sit on Dan's lap and give him a huge bear hug. He giggled like a little kid.

"No. Fucking. Way... wait - but, why?" I said, pulling away to search his eyes.

"What are you going to introduce me as? Why now?" "Well, I'm going to introduce you as my girlfriend. Am I wrong?" he said with a worried tone.

I bit my thumb nail and shook my head at him, smiling like a fool. I was going to meet the Grumps! How was this all happening?!

"But you're going to need to take a shower like right now. Otherwise, I'll be tempted to take you right here, right now and we won't be able to leave the apartment for the rest of the day." he sighed, biting his bottom lip and looking me over.

I ruffled his hair and scampered off to get ready.  Still damp from the shower, I stood in front of my closet and pondered what to wear. I settled on a pair of black jeans that hugged my curves perfectly, a low cut floral tank top and my favorite cropped black leather jacket with a pair of red velvet pumps. I grabbed my phone to send a quick text to Ellie before I went to show Danny how I looked.

 _I have SO much to tell you_ I typed into my phone before hitting send and slipping it into my jean pocket.

I continued to gussy myself up for a few minutes before I felt my phone vibrating against my thigh. _Let’s go out tomorrow night and you can tell me all about it_ it read. So far my week was shaping up super nicely.

“So, how do I look?” I announced, slowly turning so Dan could see every aspect of my outfit.

He was waiting patiently on the couch, but stood up and crossed over to me immediately as I came into the room. He barely got a glimpse of me before he grabbed my hand, pulling me out of the apartment and down the steps to his car. We drove in silence for a little while before Dan spoke up.

“You look fucking gorgeous, by the way.” he said, keeping his eyes on the road.

I looked up at his profile and noticed his cheeks turning a crimson color. My thumbs were twiddling as I payed attention to where we were going, still preoccupied by the surprise at hand. We arrived in just under 15 minutes. I wouldn’t have guessed Dan to be as much of a led foot as he was, but at least he was efficient. We were parked in front of what looked like a strange cargo warehouse with metal garage doors. He crossed over to my side of the car and helped me out.

“What is this?” I asked him as he pulled me towards the door.

He just smiled at me and punched in a code on a pad planted on the siding next to the door. It slowly lifted up and he pulled me into the dim building. He hit a button once we were inside to let the door back down and lead me to a lit hallway ahead of us that was seen through a small office. It looked very corporate, which was strange for a building that looked so dingy from the outside. We swiftly made our way to the last door at the end of the hall. He pushed the lights on and the large room lit up in front of me. A recording studio. A really nice recording studio. We made our way to some swivel chairs and sat down in front of the massively impressive control panel. I looked up and noticed a tiny room through the glass - it had a microphone and stool as centerpiece.

“Woah.” was all I could manage.

He laughed and sat back slightly, keeping his eyes on me.

“Welcome to my office!” he exclaimed. I shook my head in awe.

“This is crazy. I take it this is where you record all your NSP stuff. I would have never guessed that this building contained such a nice space.”

“Ya. I do all my recording here. It’s not perfect, but it’s all a product of my hard, honest work and years of living out of my car. I’m proud of it,” he said, laying his hands on the dials. “but this isn’t really the surprise I had in store for you. This is only part of it...”

“What’s the surprise?” I asked, turning to look at him.

“You remember Ninja Brain and Arin, don’t you? WELL, the both of them and I are starting a comedy gamer band called Starbomb and you are now officially the first person to know about it outside of the Grump and NSP family. Congrats. Oh - and that’s not all. I’ve talked to the guys and we want you to sing on the album.” he blurted.

I sat there in shock for what must have been a long time because Danny eventually broke the heavy silence with a deliberate cough. My eyes quickly found his, which were glowing with happiness.

“I can’t sing.” I said sadly.

“Yes you can. Everyone can. You just need to find your voice,” he replied, getting up to put a hand on my shoulder and spin me towards the panel of controls.

His hands expertly flicked switches and buttons, but nothing appeared to result from it.

“Let me show you. When I give you the thumbs up, press that red button.”

He disappeared through a padded door and into the room behind the glass. Gently, he moved the stool away to the corner and slipped on a pair of heavy headphones. He leaned forward slightly and whispered a soft Check into the mesh, which was heard in entirety from all around me. I motioned a timid thumbs up and he returned one as I leaned forward to hit the red button. Then he was singing. His melody drifted seamlessly through the space; keeping time as if he had sung it a million times. Listening closely, I thought I could make out some familiar words, but didn’t concern myself with it. His voice was too beautiful to ignore. I watched him through the glass where he stood in his own world... his home. This was who he was and he loved it. Before I knew it, he was talking again.

“Your turn.”

I got up and made my way through the door. He stood me in front of the mic and placed the headphones on my ears.

“I don’t know what to sing.” I blurted suddenly, trying to remove myself from the situation I was now in.

“Sing whatever you want, but don’t start until I give you the thumbs up.” he said over his shoulder as he opened the door.

I just gulped and nodded softly.

“This... this is uh - one of my all time favorites. I won’t do it justice but... uh. Here goes nothing.” I shrugged into the mic.

I watched him as his thumb gently lifted up. Ya. Here goes nothing.

 _It is the spring time of my loving, the second season I am to know. You are the sunlight in my growing, so little warmth, I felt before. It isn’t hard to feel me glowing. I watched the fire that grew so low..._ I sang, keeping track of the guitar part I knew off by heart in my head. I could hear a shakiness creep through my voice and corrected myself for the next verse. He smiled at me through the glass as I pressed on and felt the music move through me.

 _It is the summer of my smiles - flee from me, keepers of the gloom. Speak to me only with your eyes. It is to you, I give this tune. Ain’t so hard to recognize. These things are clear to all from time to time... I felt the coldness of my winter, I never thought it would ever go. I curse the gloom that set upon us, upon us, upon us. But I know that I love you so. Ahhh, oh. But I know that I love you so..._ I caught my breath and looked into his face with meaning.

 _These are the seasons of emotion and like the wind, they rise and fall. This is the wonder of devotion. I see the torch we all must hold. This is the mystery of the quotient, quotient, oh upon us all, upon us all a little rain must fall. It’s just a little rain. Oh ya, ooo ya, ya, ya..._ I slid the headphones off and draped them over the microphone carefully.

I swiftly made my way back to Danny, feeling slightly embarrassed that I was coerced into doing something like that. He turned in his chair and grabbed my hands as I sat down.

“The Rain Song,” he whispered, smiling and looking deeply into my eyes. “That was beautiful. You have a really nice voice. I mean, it’s not perfect, but that’s the beauty of this art form. You learn so much more every time you step up to that mic.”

“Did you write that song?”

“The one I sang?” he began, suddenly sitting a little more upright. “Ya. Ya, it’s called Shine. I was in a band called The Northern Hues. Those were good days, but I’d never go back. I’m so happy with where I am. Even if it is a struggle to keep up with everything.”

I looked down at our entangled hands and smiled. The sight and feel of him being so close warmed my heart. He quietly guided me through some of the basic controls and showed me what they had for material so far. Their ideas were brilliant, not to mention hilarious as always. We sat for awhile before Dan told me we had to get going to the Hanson’s place. We turned off all the equipment and headed on our way. They lived in Burbank, which was just a short drive from Glendale. When we arrived, it took me awhile before I could encourage myself enough to go in.

“What’s wrong?” his words drifted through the stiff air surrounding us.

“I’m nervous. I feel like this is a mistake.”

“It’s not a mistake, Amanda. They are all really excited to meet you.”

“That’s the thing. Once they actually get to know me, they’ll wish they never did.” I replied looking down at my lap.

“This is SO not the typical, sassy Amanda I know. C’mon. Smarten up.” he said reaching over to unbuckle me.

Reluctantly, I pushed myself out of the car and straightened myself out in the side mirror before attaching myself nervously to Dan’s hip. We stepped up to their porch and rang the bell. Soon after, the door opened wide, revealing a very handsome couple.

“Hey! You guys look like you’re going to prison,” the man joked as he extended a hand in front of me. “I’m Arin, it’s really nice to meet you, Amanda. In fact, if it wasn’t for you, I would’ve declared Dan a full-blown closeted homosexual. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.” he finished with a wink.

I met his hand with mine and shook firmly, catching Dan shoot a dirty look from the corner of my eye in Arin’s direction, but I knew it was all fun and games.

“Well, he’s DEFINITELY not gay. I can vouch for that,” I replied. “It’s really awesome to meet you, Arin.”

He smiled a wide one and draped an arm over his wife. His appearance was light and airy compared to hers, except for their matching blonde streak on the right side of their bangs. She stepped forward slightly and enthusiastically grabbed my hand in hers.

“I know we already sort of met, but I just wanted to properly introduce myself this time. I’m Suzy. I can’t wait to get to know you, Amanda.” I scratched the back of my head and felt blood rush to my cheeks in embarrassment. I acted like such a bitch when we first met.

“About when we met... Suzy, I’m so sorry. I was completely out of line. I should have never said those things.” I pleaded nervously.

“It’s actually really funny now that I think about it. You were just protecting what was yours,” she chimed happily, suddenly looking up at her husband lovingly. “I would have done the same.”

With that, she pulled me into the house behind her leaving Dan and Arin to revert to their typical boyish behavior. I kicked off my heels and turned the corner to find two men absorbed in a game of Soul Caliber. One of them had dark hair that was spread over his face and top of his head with blue eyes. The other was clean shaven with blonde hair and blue eyes which made him looked much like a little kid. Suzy cleared her throat slightly as we stood in the doorway looking at them.

“Guys, this is Amanda,” she said. “Amanda, this is Barry. He’s our awesome editor and that’s Ross. He mostly just hangs around and annoys everyone... Now that I think of it, you probably already know who these two are. You watch the show.” she laughed.

The men waved at me happily and proceeded on with the game. Suzy motioned me to the kitchen so that the men could play their games. She poured me a glass of red wine and told me to sit down. I observed her carefully as she prepared a stir-fry, one of my favorite meals ever. She had a small frame and porcelain skin that was accented by her wardrobe of all black. Her blue eyes looked beautifully polished with heavy, but tasteful makeup and everything about her was on point. I had a feeling she took great pride in how she looked and _so she should_ , I thought. It’s not everyday you see such a gorgeous woman.

“Do you like stir-fry?” she asked politely and glanced up from her task to see if I was sincere or not with my answer. I was mid gulp so I smiled with a closed mouth and nodded furiously. She smiled.

“I take it you’re the wolf mother?” I replied, once I had swallowed my wine.

“Ha. Ya. I am,” she said, chopping an assortment of vegetables. “Sometimes it’s annoying, but it’s our life. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. THAT’S why I’m so happy you’re with Danny. He needs someone like you.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because you are grounded and wise. He hasn’t had the easiest life and the more reassurance he has, the better. All he needs to do now is marry you.”

I blushed furiously and looked down at my painted toes. “I think I could handle that... the sex is out of this world.” I mumbled into my wine glass.

“Oh my god, I hear that. Though for Arin and I, it never really slowed down or got dull. I guess there’s something to be said about that.”

Just then, like it had been rehearsed, we heard Arin’s voice boom from the other room. “Are you two sharing secrets?”

We laughed hysterically. I got up to set the table for dinner, wiping tears from my eyes.

“Thanks for doing that, doll.” Suzy said, pointing me to plates and cutlery.

“No problem. Your house is so cool. I wish I lived in a house like this.”

“I think it creeps some people out. Y’know, all the bugs and spiders in frames. I’m kind of an out-of-this-world chick though.” she said, motioning to her wardrobe and spinning on her heel.

“I love how you look. Seriously. Some people are so brainwashed by Kim Kardashian and Miley Cyrus that they forget there’s a real world past the fake tits and slutty clothes. You’ve got an identity and that’s the most precious thing.”

There was a happy silence for a little while as I finished setting the table. We called the boys to sit down and I poured everyone a glass of water as Suzy set plates of food out before everybody. We all sat down and enjoyed our meal, making small talk here and there. Dan had his hand on my leg as he took the occasional bite. It filled me with warmth and I couldn’t tell if it was the wine getting to my head or not, but I could really see myself marrying him in that moment. Spending valid time with this big happy family would make me so happy. He was everything I ever wanted. They were everything I ever wanted.

“So, how did you meet Dan, Amanda?” Ross asked with his big blue eyes looking into mine from across the table.

“He answered my ad for a roomie.”

“Ohhh, I see how it is. You guys were bang buddies.” he replied laughing.

I could feel my face flush and I looked up at Dan’s to see his reaction, which was exactly like mine except with a very apparent hint of annoyance.

“Goddammit, Ross. Shut up.” he scoffed at him. His hand began moving up and down slowly against my thigh as if he was comforting me. Or protecting me. I couldn’t tell.

“Shit.” Suzy said suddenly, sitting back in her chair and frowning.

“What?” Arin asked looking intently at his wife.

“I forgot to get cake mix for dessert. I knew something was missing.”

“Well, I don’t know about everyone else, but if I ate Suzy’s dessert, I think my mind would explode. That stir-fry was the best I’ve ever had,” I exclaimed as I put a hand on my very full stomach. “Why don’t we go out for some ice cream?”

Everyone nodded and I winked at Suzy as her frown quickly tucked up. We all finished eating and helped clean up before packing into Arin’s car. There wasn’t a seat for me so I sat on Dan’s lap and prayed we wouldn’t get pulled over. He wrapped his long arms around me, preventing me from falling all over the car. When it came time to eat our DQ blizzards, I had to scoop some into his mouth as he held me. I could feel mine melting from keeping it between my legs.

“Should we go for a drive?” Arin asked, looking into the rear view at us. We all laughed.

“Sure, why not?” Barry replied enthusiastically.

We drove further out into the suburbs until we found a huge un-fenced field tucked behind the mountains where the sun was setting. Arin drove straight onto it and we all piled out and marveled at the size of it. The grass swayed in the breeze and was tall enough to conceal each one of us completely. We all ran around playfully for a little while before Arin went back to the car to put on “Fly” by Sugar Ray on full blast. We ended up playing Marco Polo, but instead of saying Marco and Polo, Arin shouted “ALL AROUND THE” and we all replied with “WORLD!”. I was really bad at it because I couldn’t contain my laughter, but Arin couldn’t get any of us anyways with the music so loud. Eventually we all ended up in the same spot, as we recovered from our extreme laughter and caught our breath. I sat down and fell back onto the grass to look up at the clear, summer night sky. Dan joined right beside me and held my hand as everyone else found their place. We all stared up at the sky and told stories and laughed for quite some time before agreeing to head back. When we got back to their place, I immediately approached Arin and Suzy and thanked them for having me.

“Let’s go shopping soon! What’s your number? I’ll text you.” she asked and I gave it to her as she typed it into her phone.

“Awesome, I can’t wait! See you guys!” She gave me a quick hug and Dan and I said our goodbyes to everyone before getting into his car and heading back home.

“That was such a great night.” I whispered happily.

“Ya, it really was. You had nothing to be afraid of. Everyone loves you.” I smiled happily up at him and put my hand over his that rested on the stick as the street lights overhead flickered through our speeding car.


	9. Sore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I love Danny Avidan/Sexbang, Game Grumps and NSP. So this story is happening. We can be friends if you like any of the things mentioned :)

I gulped my sangria and scrolled through my phone while waiting for El to show up. My eyes landed on a picture of Danny holding a figurine of himself that the Grumps had received from a fan. My curiosity got the best of me and I decided to read the comments. As I suspected, many women were commenting - saying: _If only he was mine_ and _Whatta man!_ with little hearts and love-struck emjoi's surrounding them. It didn't bother me. I knew all too well he was a very appealing person. What did bother me was that only a select few would know I was his because his fame was very much alive.

I frowned and downed the rest of my glass just as Ellie was sitting down across from me.

"Sorry I'm late, Dr. Jones had a late walk in and I couldn't close the office until the patient left," she began, glancing at the half full jug of sangria in front of us. "But it looks like you've started the party without me."

"DR. JONES! JONES! CALLING DR. JONES. DR. JONES, DR. JONES, GET UP NOW! WAKE UP, NOW!" I shouted and danced in my seat. 

"EVERY TIME!" she laughed and shook her head while pouring herself a glass. 

I stared at her for a moment - admiring her beauty. Her electric red hair fell in curls across her chest and when she smiled, her cheeks puffed out in an adorable round shape. Her big blue eyes lit up behind her square glasses when she was excited and I thought it impossible that her tiny frame held so much personality. I never understood her self-conscious behaviour because in full reality, she could get anyone she wanted. She caught my gaze suddenly and I glanced down at my menu to scan it furiously even though I already knew what I wanted. Chicken tenders as always. 

"What do I want?" I asked aimlessly. 

"I think you want Danny with some sweet and sour sauce all over his body..." she replied with a devilish smirk. 

"Ellie!" I laughed, smacking her with my menu. "You are a child trapped in an adult body, I swear."

"Well, that IS why you dragged me here after all, right? To tell me all of your encounters with the sexy kind." 

"Ok, A: YOU dragged me here. B: You are a nerd and I love you for that, so, bravo. C: It was fucking amazing." I replied, letting out a soft sigh.

Just then, the waitress came by to take our orders. I had to bite my tongue to stop myself from giggling. The waitress scampered off in a hurry and I caught sight of El's face that had the words 'Go On...' written all over it. 

"Ok. So this is how it went down. I came home pretending to be all happy and clueless and I found him on the couch in the same spot and same clothes as the last time I saw him, which I've gotta tell you, is extreme dedication. He was watching The Last Unicorn and he had such a depressed look on his face. I'd never seen him like that before. So I started to thank him for taking care of Bo and everything, but he wasn't buying it. He just kept trying to get my attention and I ignored him until I heard him screaming at me. So naturally, I screamed back. I asked about Suzy and he said she is married to his friend, which isn't a lie. I met them both and they are adorable. But going back to the story, I felt really stupid and humiliated, so in a moment of desperation, I said it..." 

"Said what?" 

"That I love him. For a long time he said nothing. Come to think of it, he never said he loved me back, but he didn't really have to. I know he does. Then he picked me up and kissed me and yada yada yada." 

"Not yada yada yada! Tell me!" she exclaimed excitedly.

We sat like this for awhile. Like we were back in high school and trading secrets. It was so much fun. We ate our food and got another jug that we didn't end up finishing. She told me stories and we laughed until our stomaches ached. Before I knew it, it was time to go. We paid our bill and stumbled out the door. 

"Take a taxi with me." she said as she waved her hand wildly at passing cars until one stopped for us. 

We sat in the quiet darkness of the cab and watched the world pass by us. Suddenly, she reached over and took my hand in hers. 

"I'm really happy for you, Amanda." she whispered at me with a soft smile on her lips. 

"Thanks, El." I said, leaning over to rest my head on her shoulder. 

My house was the first stop. I said my goodbyes and fumbled to get the front door open quietly as to not wake Dan. Quietly, I kicked my flats off and found my way to my cozy room. I found him fast asleep in my bed, curled up and peaceful. I ripped my clothes off and gently settled myself behind him to act as big spoon. He wiggled under my touch and flipped himself over to plant a sleepy kiss on my lips. 

"Did you have fun?" he whispered groggily. 

"Loads," I replied, nuzzling my nose in the crook of his neck and softly kissed it. "But I'm happy I get to come home to you in my bed." 

He sighed heavily and I could feel his steady breathing softly moving my hair around. His hands found my body and pulled me into him. 

"You're naked." he said, running his hand down my figure. 

"And drunk." 

Just then, as if he was not just fast asleep a couple minutes ago, he rolled on top of me and kissed me all over wildly. I giggled and let him take me in the dark of my tiny room. 

I woke up to Dan holding me from behind, still fast asleep. I stretched and looked at the clock. It was 10:35. Throwing myself over the side of the bed, I grabbed my phone from my purse. There was a text from Suzy. 

_Hey Girl! Shopping today?_

I turned over and looked at Dan slowly lifting his eyes. He looked so peaceful in the morning. Even with his hair a mess and scruffy face. God, I was lucky. 

"Babe," I said, cradling my hand on his cheek. "Baby, did we have any plans for today?"

"N-no, I don't think so... why?" 

I waved the text in front of his face and watched as his eyes scanned the screen. 

"Well, now we do." 

_Is it OK if Dan and Arin join us?_ I typed back. 

_Of course! Come by for 12._

_See you then!_ I typed and pressed send. 

"Too bad. I was hoping we'd have time for a quickie." Dan said, propping himself up on his elbow to look down at me. He gave me a wink and ran his thumb over my exposed nipple. 

"Maybe we could, but you'd have to help me shower and I don't know if you're up for that," I teased, sticking my tongue out. "OR we could combine the two and have shower sex! Now that's a little something I like to call multitasking, Mr. Sexbang."

"Oh my god. I love you."

"What did you just say?" I smiled and looked into his eyes. 

"What? Nothing. I didn't say anything."

"You said you love me!" 

"No I didn't. I said I loath you." he protested as he got up and walked to the bathroom. I jumped up and ran after him, wanting to prolong this glorious moment of hearing Danny say the L word. He was extending an arm underneath the running water while the other was tapping his bare leg nervously. 

"Really? Cause I heard a definite LUFF sound escape those lips." I exclaimed, jumping into the shower. I dipped my head under as Danny followed in behind me and turned me so he could stand under the water as well. 

"You are as transpar-" I began, but was interrupted by Dan's hands on my wrists as he pinned them above my head and pressed his body to mine against the cold tiled wall. 

_"Shut up."_ was all he said before he attacked my neck with his lips.

He knew how to suck and bite in all the best places. I let out a thirsty groan and allowed him to mark me as his own. Feeling the bruises forming already, I managed to slip one of my hands from his grasp and grab his quickly hardening dick. He paused and hovered above my neck as I twisted my hand up and down his shaft. A tiny whimper escaped his lips. I picked up speed as he looked down and watched me get to work. His face contorted at the pleasurable sensation - I loved seeing him vulnerable. 

With his free hand, he quickly found my clit and started rubbing to match my speed. My thighs shook and my knees buckled as I felt a pleasurable squeeze radiate from deep inside me. His hand moved swiftly to lift my leg up so he could enter me. All in one motion, he was fully in and pressing his lips against mine as we moaned through the pleasure. He let go of my wrist so that he could wrap his arm around my waist for leverage and I in returned draped my arm over his shoulder and pulled him in close. I wanted this to last forever. 

He pulled out and turned me around so he could enter from behind. I gasped at the feeling as he picked up speed, thrusting his pelvis against my ass over and over. I quivered and moaned through my orgasm, awaiting his finish that happened shortly after. He groaned as he pulled out and steadied himself against the wall to catch his breath. 

"Holy fuck." I said, leaning down to sit on the ledge of the tub. My legs were shaking violently. He smiled very wide and huffed as he proceeded to wash his body. 

"I didn't break you, did I?" 

"Maybe a little..." I answered, getting up to help him wash.

We quickly got washed up and stepped out to get ready. We both rushed to get ready and get out the door before we were late. I folded the visor down to look at my neck in the mirror. Yep. There were bruises. Lots of them. Dan stole a look at me and laughed apologetically. I was wearing a tank top! There's no way I could hide them. We arrived at the Hanson's in no time and I sighed to myself. We walked up and rang the bell, awaiting the inevitable. In no time, the door opened wide to reveal Arin. His eyes immediately flickered to my neck and I felt my cheeks turn to lava. 

"Had a little fun, did we?" he giggled in only a way Arin could. "Come in." 

 

 


	10. Drunk In Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I love Danny Avidan/Sexbang, Game Grumps and NSP. So this story is happening. We can be friends if you like any of the things mentioned :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYS! I'm so sorry that it took this long to get this chapter out. I've been super busy lately, but hopefully y'all can forgive me. 
> 
> Things get super crazy in this chapter ;)
> 
> PREPARE.

Suzy turned the corner of the foyer dressed to impress as the three of us turned to meet her. She was in a knee-length black dress that nipped in nicely at her tiny waist and flowed out elegantly from her. Her platform boots wrapped halfway up her calf and added many inches of height to her step. As usual, she looked perfect.

"Ready?" she chimed, leading us to the car. We all packed in and headed to her favorite mall. I gaped at it as we stepped out and towards the monster building.

"Where to first?" I asked as our men sleepily trailed behind us.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I think we need to find you some new makeup. Don't worry, I'll teach you everything along the way!"

I looked up at her as she beamed down at me. Ya. In comparison to Suzy, I looked like an old, tired woman. Looking back, I caught the eye of Arin as Dan was telling some story.

"We are going to go to Sephora. Should we meet somewhere?"

"You ladies might be awhile. I think we're going to go to the Lego Store so just text us when you're done!" he exclaimed as he lead the two of them to the nearest directory.

Suzy showed me into the vast confines that was Sephora. The employees smiled at her as she guided me through aisle after aisle. She grabbed a mesh bag and loaded it with samples that I could only assume would be tested on me.

"Go get a seat at the kiosk over there and I'll meet you in one second."

I looked behind me and made my way to the barber chair placed in front of a huge mirror, sitting down timidly. She was back in no time, setting her things down and turning me to face her.

"Suzy, isn't this, ya know, reserved for employees?"

She just waved her hand and giggled at me. "They know me here. A little too well," she began pulling items out and dabbing them on the cuff of her hand. "You have beautiful skin, so I'm not going to do too much with that. Your eyebrows need work and you need some lip color, but this should be relatively painless."

I sat patiently as she went to work sculpting my face into something new. 45 minutes must have gone by before she spun me to get a good look. She had contoured my face with a highlighter, but accented my cheeks with a subtle pink so that everything lead to my cherry red lips. She plucked and filled my eyebrows in so that they set bolder, but still elegantly on my face. My eyes were powdered with a beautiful smokey grey and complimented with a black bold winged tip for eyeliner. I looked like a completely different person.

"Suzy, this is incredible. I hardly recognize myself. You are really talented."

She took a small bow and spun me away from the mirror again so she could work on my hair. Another 15 minutes went by before she revealed the finished product. I was rendered speechless. She laughed and messed with my subtly curled hair before pulling me up to an associate. 

"We would like to get all of those products at the station, please." she said to the girl, who immediately sped off to gather all our stuff together and meet us at the register. 

The total came up to 400, but when I went to reach for my wallet, Suzy swatted my hand away. 

"Suzy. You are SO not paying for this." 

"Yes I am," she took a quick glimpse at my face and smiled sweetly to herself. "I get a discount. Besides, this was my idea." 

She thumbed over a special card to the girl and she scanned it, bringing the price down to just under 300. We finished paying everything and stepped out to the rest of the mall. I pulled out my phone and texted Danny to tell them to meet us in the food court. We found a seat in a booth where we sat and people watched. 

"He's going to freak when he sees you." Suzy teased playfully. I could feel a warmth spreading to my face and I shook my head slightly in an attempt to stop it. From over her shoulder, I could see our two men fast approaching. Danny was once again preoccupied with something, but Arin caught sight of us. He looked me over and choked out a quiet chuckle, extending a finger at his wife. 

"Was this you?" 

She nodded happily as the two of them admired my new look. Danny looked up from his phone to look at Arin out of confusion. His eyes followed the trail to my face and his mouth dropped in dismay. He moved to sit down beside me, but still kept his eyes on my face. 

"You like?" I asked as I propped my head on my hands and batted my eyes at him. His eyes left my face to meet Suzy's. 

"Suze, you did this?" he asked and was answered with a happy nod. "She looks amazing!" 

I sat back in the booth and crossed my arms over my chest. 

"Jesus. I didn't know I was  _that_ in need of a makeover..." 

Everyone made sympathetic sounds at me and got up to get some lunch. I sat and manned the table until they came back. Just as we were finishing up our food, two boys and a girl that all looked about 16 came up to our table excitedly. The girl thumbed her phone over to me and asked if I could take the pictures. I watched as the girl nervously shook Danny's hand and wrapped her arms around his waist for a picture, which brewed a hot moment of jealousy in me that I had to force myself to ignore. He found his place beside me again, but this time kept his distance from me as to not signal he had any kind of relationship with me. Before long, they were all walking back towards the centre of the mall, only to look back in admiration every few steps before they were out of sight again. 

"Does that happen often?" I asked. Everyone nodded as we got up to leave. 

We got back to the Hanson's place for late afternoon and everyone decided that a barbecue and a few drinks were in order. Dan got up to call Barry and Ross to come over while I helped Arin and Suzy with their bonfire. He was put on BBQ duty and every so often when I looked back at him, his mood appeared worse and worse. We got the fire going just in time for when Barry and Ross showed up, but they stuck on the other side of the yard to keep Dan company. We gathered around for dinner, but by this time, I was quite tipsy. 

"Babe, maybe you should slow down a bit." Dan said, placing a hand on my back and handing me a plate of BBQ'd goodness. Before I could respond, Arin was defending me. 

"Dan, don't worry. We're keeping an eye on her." 

"Well, when she leans forward to poke the fire, don't be surprised if she combusts into nothing." 

I spun around to find him walking to Barry and Ross with their plates and when I looked back at Arin and Suzy, they were giving me looks that spelled 'What the fuck?!'. Ya, what the fuck is right. 

"Well, that was fucking rude..." Suzy said, shooting daggers at Dan's back. 

I tried my best to ignore what Dan had just said, but there was a burning in my stomach that grew hotter with every passing minute. This was a side I thought I would never see from Dan. I mean, everyone gets angry, but it was so unusual for him to be this way. What was he even mad about, anyway? Whatever. I rolled my eyes in agreement with Suzy and forced a small smile at them. 

"Girl," Arin whispered. "Don't worry. I'm sure he's just had a long day." 

I nodded and pushed those feelings away for the time being to pick at my plate and get to know Arin and Suzy a little better. When we finished dinner, we brought out graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate so we could make s'mores. Dan, Barry and Ross were still on the opposite side of the yard playing a game of badminton. I poked a marshy onto my stick and stuck it in the fire with content. These nights were the ones I lived for. 

"So! Tell me how you guys met. I don't think I've ever met a happier couple in my entire life." I asked them and watched as they exchanged a loving smile. 

"It's a funny story," Arin began as he smushed his marshy onto his cracker. "I was actually originally setting her up with one of my friends, but he never showed cause he was a fucking PUSSY," he began to giggle just then. "So we just hung out instead and hit it off. I asked her to prom and we've been insuperable ever since." 

I smiled and continued to spend the entirety of the night with this wonderful couple. Later on, the other boys joined us around the fire. I yawned and watched as it spread around our circle, signalling for Dan and I to go. Everyone stood up and walked us to the front where we said our goodbyes. I embraced Suzy warmly and thanked her profusely for the wonderful gifts. We all agreed to see each other again next weekend and Dan and I were on our way. We said nothing on the way home, but as soon as we put our first step in the door, it all came out. 

"I wish you would warn me when you decide to get really drunk with my friends. That was fucking embarrassing." he said angrily as he brushed past me to go to the bathroom. My mouth dropped in dismay as I kicked my shoes off and marched after him. 

"Excuse me?  _I_ embarrassed  _you?"_

"Ya, you did. This was the stupidest idea." he said as he shoved his toothbrush into his mouth and stared blankly at the mirror. 

" _Fuck_ you!" I screamed at him as I burst towards my room to rip my clothes off. I was nearly naked when I heard him in the doorway behind me and I had to swallow my tears. 

"Hey!" he yelled with a mouthful of foam. "AMANDA!" 

"You want to know what's embarrassing? The fact that you don't want to be seen with me."

"What does that mean?" 

"Today! That girl at the mall was looking at you all lovingly because who doesn't?! You are desired by so many girls. I get it. But it makes me feel like shit when you... when you are too embarrassed of me to make it clear to people that we are together." 

He shook his head at me as I flopped down on the bed, completely exposed and aching. I folded my legs into my chest and let the tears run down my face. 

"I can't do that, Amanda." he whispered. 

"Why not?! Arin and Suzy have done it." 

"That's different!" he yelled and padded off to the bathroom again to spit out his toothpaste. "That's different and you know it." he said softer this time.

I just shook my head and sobbed. After a few moments of observing me, Dan came to sit down beside me to place a sympathetic hand on my shoulder. I flinched under his touch and held myself closer. 

"I've just got my life on track, Amanda. I don't want to screw everything up right now by announcing something like that. I'm not embarrassed by you," he sighed to himself and looked at his hands that rested in his lap delicately. "Quite the contrary. You've become my everything is such a short period of time. Jesus Christ. I'm in my 30's, Amanda. I never thought I would find you and I was giving up hope, but here you are. You are the perfect girl and you get along with my friends so well...it just doesn't feel believable. I'm scared." 

"Scared of  _what_?" I mumbled angrily. 

"That I'll lose you."

My brain turned everything around for a long time as it tried to process what was being said. It just wouldn't. My tears stung as they were absorbed into my cheeks and I stared at the floor ahead of me. After Dan realized that I had nothing more to say to him, he got up to leave me alone. 

"I love you." he whispered before shutting the door behind him. 

I heard his footsteps fade in the distance and tried to imagine what would happen if that was the last time he ever walks away from me. Then I thought about how this pain would never go away and buried my head into my knees as the darkness swallowed me whole. 


	11. Comin Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IF there are any of you still reading this story, here's a brand new chapter! I really appreciate anyone that reads my silly stories and I hope that you still will, despite the fact that I haven't posted for months now... Whoops. 
> 
> I promise that I will finish this story. I'll be posting more frequently from now on, as well. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy you lovelies, you! :)

The next day passed by slowly. I didn't see him. I didn't see him the day after that or the day after that. Instead of coming home to the man of my dreams, I only came home to the faint traces of him. A pair of his shoes left right in the doorway. The coffee mug he leaves on the counter every morning. His soft scent that whirled in the air when I walked past his door. Who knew where he ran off to and who knew if he was every coming back... 

I flopped on the couch and sighed to myself. As sorry as I was that all of this was happening, I knew in my heart that I had to stay strong and believe in what was right. That's why I'm here and he's not. I'm not running away this time. 

I pushed myself off the couch and made my way to the bathroom to run a bath. Every once in awhile, it was so satisfying to plop my favourite bath bomb in the scalding water and watch it disappear, light some candles, put on some Bon Iver and just relax. I often didn't get the time I needed to myself, so I guess one upside of this whole mess is that I can finally get that time in.

I stepped out of the bathroom and went to my bedroom to get dressed. When I went to dry my hair, I noticed the front door was open a crack and I could hear a rustling coming from Danny's room. My heart dropped. It was either Danny or a robber and I wasn't going to take any chances. Quietly, I crept to my bedside and pulled the baseball bat my dad gave me when I moved to the city out from under my bed. My grip was impossibly tight as I held it up beside my head and ventured towards the potentially dangerous person in my apartment. Peeking my head in, I could only make out the dark outline of a person that I could tell was not Danny and every muscle in my body tensed.

"Whoever is in there, I advise you drop everything you have and step out of my apartment before your head meets my very… hard baseball bat!"

I could hear footsteps quickly approaching the door to his room as I stepped back in fighting stance to prepare myself for the stranger danger ahead of me. My eyes stayed glued as the door slowly creeped open to reveal a very amused Arin Hanson.

"You are terrible at intimidation, you know that?" he giggled. I threw my back against the wall, letting the bat fall to the floor in a loud thud. My head fell into my hands and I could feel my throat aching in anticipation of the well of tears that soon followed. There were a few moments of silence before Arin quickly dropped to my side to put his hand on my shoulder.

"Well, you're not THAT bad, I suppose," he joked lightheartedly. I uncoiled myself to look up at his face with a small smiled perched on the corner of my lips. His eyes met mine and then he finally understood. "Oh…you really miss him. God, I'm so sorry Amanda."

"It's okay. I'm just being an idiot." I said as I foolishly wiped the tears away from my face.

"He's at my place," he began as he guided me up from the floor to the couch in the living room. "But he's going to London for a couple days to see Brian. Gotta take a break from things."

I folded my legs underneath me and turned the TV on in an attempt to distract myself. Arin grabbed a blanket at the end of the couch and draped it over me. This time the smile that hung on my face was sincere.

"Should I get you anything to eat or do? I was just here to pick some things up for Danny's flight, but I can stay here if you need me to."

He observed me sympathetically before getting up to close the front door and come back to my side. Arin was one of those rare people who were just good from the inside out. There was nothing Arin did half assed and when someone needed him, he was there. That's why even though my head was telling me that he didn't need to hang around, my heart told me the opposite.

"Maybe you could help me share a pizza, but only if you have time. Honestly. I don't want to keep you from anything."

"Pfft, no human being has plans on a Wednesday night. Besides, Suzy is doing her bug pinning stuff and when she does that, she puts The Princess and the Frog on as background noise and sets it to repeat. It's basically a loop of never ending insanity," he said blatantly and I laughed from the pit of my stomach. "I would love to share a pizza with you."

He slouched out on the couch slightly so that he could fish his phone from his pocket. He dialled Pizza Hut and ordered a large meat lovers pizza for the both of us before popping in Wind Waker. I watched happily as he continued from a room I had no idea how to get out of.

"You are terrible at Wind Waker."

"I know," he laughed. "I'm absolutely terrible. But when you really think about it, how many people can truthfully say they suck at their job and still love it?"

"You have a point." I said as I got up to answer the door. Carefully as to not block Arin's view, I set out plates on the coffee table and set the pizza in the middle. I plopped down again to give Arin his coke and open mine to take a big sip before digging in.

"Girl. You up here," he said as he brought Link's wand up on the screen. "He down here. Girl, he's not on your LEV-EL." I almost spit my coke out all over the pizza and Arin fell back laughing.

"It's just that much better in person. Oh my god."

Arin played while I stuffed myself with pizza. We sat like this for a few hours until we had finished our last bites and exhausted the flow of imaginative conversation and joking around. Arin stretched and got up to collect the things he came for. I followed after him and gave him a big hug before showing him out. Suddenly, I didn't feel so alone.

More days passed and there was still no sign of Danny. Some days were good. Some days were bad. It had been approximately 10 days before Danny made his first apperance since we had our fight. I was making coffee when I heard the door open. Quietly, I made my way to the doorway where I found him putting a bright pink suitcase down. The imagery of this made my heart leap and I found myself stifling a nervous giggle while biting on my thumbnail. He looked up immediately and ran his hand through the bird nest that sat utop his head. And we stood there staring at eachother in nervous blissfulness. He sucked in a big breath and followed my eyes to the suitcase that sat there pathetically. 

"Arin's..."

"I figured." 

He kicked his shoes off and peeled off his oversized hoodie, setting it over the case. 

"I missed you." He said. 

The words shot me straight in the chest. 

"I missed you too..." I whispered as I looked down at my feet. 

He crept closer to me in a way that reminded me of a wounded animal - exhausted, emotional, and reborn with the prospect of death fast approaching. I tried to conceal my emotions effectively, but I wasn't convincing anyone. I love him. 

"Don't leave. Don't ever leave again." 

He shook his head as if shaking off tears that were being held back. His warm hand found mine and pulled me into him. It was my home. The place I belonged. And I breathed him in so deeply that I thought my lungs would burst. His strong arms wrapped around my waist as he lifted my lips to his. Salt that trickled down our faces merged at our lips as we gently kissed it away. Fittingly, Comin Home by City and Colour came on my shuffle in the kitchen. 

Letting me down after a few minutes, he broke from my embrace to reach into his bag. I wiped my face with my hand and smiled as I stared at him lovingly. My man. 

"You want some coffee? I was just making some." I sighed. 

"Amanda. Don't go anywhere, okay? I have to ask you something." 

The tone of his voice was like nothing I had ever heard before, stopping me dead in my tracks. He hand concealed whatever it was that he was holding, despite my best efforts to steal a glance. Standing before me, he knelt down to give me a tender kiss. 

"What's going on?" I asked with a groggy voice heavy weighed by concern. 

Now Stacks by Bon Iver was very clearly heard. My favourite song by him. 

"I love you. I didn't know how much I loved you until I left. I though this trip would take my mind off of everything... I thought it would help me see the direction I need to go in life. But it didn't. It clouded my heart with distraction from what I really need to do..." He said, peering down into my eyes. His left hand found mine again and he caressed it softly within his. "I NEED to be with you. You are my everything, and if I can't have you forever, then I don't want anyone," he stooped down on his right knee, looking up into my eyes. "Amanda, would you do me the utmost honour of being my wife?" 

The crack of a carved wooden box made my heart leap and my eyes water endlessly. I inhaled swiftly, putting my hand to my mouth. And in those few silent moments, I could hear the words that so sweetly drifted to me through the confines of our tiny apartment. They spoke the words that I couldn't. They warmed my soul and filled me with hope as I looked down into the face of a man that I loved with every cell of my being. Those words were my answer...

_Your love will be safe with me._


End file.
